ULM Warhawks

MONROE, La. - ULM volleyball returns to the road this week for a three-match series against Arkansas State at First National Bank Arena. The two teams open the series at 5 p.m. Thursday and wrap up the series with a doubleheader on Friday, with first serve at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m.

FOLLOW THE WARHAWKS
All three matches will be available to watch on ESPN+ and on live stats at AStateRedWolves.com. A direct link to the ESPN+ stream and live stats are available on the volleyball schedule page at ULMWarhawks.com. Twitter updates will be available on the official Twitter page of the Warhawks, @ULM_VB.

A LOOK AHEAD
The Warhawks play their final two non-conference games of the season next week. ULM hosts Central Arkansas at 6 p.m. Friday, Oct. 16. The Warhawks return the trip to Conway against the Bears at 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 18.

SERIES HISTORY
• Arkansas State leads the all-time series with ULM, 40-5.
• The Red Wolves have won the last 36 matches in the series, dating back to the 1986 season. ULM won the second meeting of that season in Monroe, 3-1, to cap a five-match winning streak for the Warhawks in the series.
• ULM has won just once in Jonesboro, a 3-0 victory on Oct. 5, 1985.
• Last season, ULM took A-State to five sets in Monroe on Oct. 25 but lost 3-0 in Jonesboro on Nov. 16.

WARHAWKS ON THE ROAD
ULM is 0-4 in true road matches in 2020 after getting swept in three matches at Texas State on Sept. 25-26. The Warhawks were 4-10 on the road in 2019, picking up wins at New Orleans, Grambling State, Georgia Southern and Little Rock. The Warhawks have won just one match in Jonesboro, a 3-0 win over the Red Wolves on Oct. 5, 1985.

COULTER CONTINUES TO PACE WARHAWKS STATISTICALLY
Senior Haley Coulter, a transfer from Division II Angelo State, continues to either lead the Warhawks in several statistical categories. The Bradenton, Florida, native leads the Warhawks with 67 kills (2.6 per set), 78.5 points (3.02 per set) and 113 digs (4.35 per set). She is tied with sophomore Madeline Hogan for the team lead in service aces with six.

In Friday's match against the Ragin' Cajuns, Coulter tallied her second double-double of the season with 10 kills and 19 digs. She also doubled her season total in service aces by adding three on the night. In Saturday's match, she tallied five kills, 14 digs and two blocks.

Coulter led the Warhawks in kills in all three matches against Texas State on Sept. 25-26 (six, eight, five).

Coulter made a strong impression in her first weekend as a Warhawk. She set a new career-high with 21 kills in the season-opener against Lamar. Her previous career-high was 16 kills, set least season with Angelo State. She hit .283 for the match. 13 of Coulter's 21 kills came across the final two sets. With the match tied at 1 and Lamar leading late in the third set, Coulter came through with three of ULM's final five points to give the Warhawks the set. She built off the momentum in the fourth set as the Warhawks scored five straight points early in the set with Coulter on the service line. Coulter closed the match with four kills in ULM's final five points to take the 3-1 decision. On top of her 21 kills, Coulter tallied 23 digs in the win. The 23 digs rank as the second-most in her career after coming up with 25 digs for Angelo State in a Lone Star Conference Tournament semifinal match against Arkansas-Fort Smith in November 2019. Coulter played well in the final two matches of the weekend, picking up three kills and 18 digs against SFA and led the Warhawks with nine kills and 13 digs vs. Houston Baptist. For her efforts on opening weekend, Coulter was named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

GOSEN PACES WARHAWKS AGAINST RAGIN' CAJUNS
Senior Ina Gosen led ULM in kills in each match against the Ragin' Cajuns. Gosen picked up a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs in Friday's match before coming back with eight kills and seven digs on Saturday.

Gosen is in her second season on the bayou in 2020. She has started seven of eight matches and ranks second on the team with 49 kills (1.9 per set), 55 points (2.12 per set) and eight blocks.

Gosen started all three matches on opening weekend, posting 19 kills, a service ace and three block assists for 21.5 points to rank third on the team. Gosen opened with 10 kills against Lamar and added six more against SFA.

The outside hitter from Goelenkamp, Germany, played in all 32 matches in 2019 and finished second on the team with 67 blocks. She was third on the team with 199 kills. Gosen picked up her play late in the season, most notably in a five-set win at Little Rock on Nov. 15. Gosen set a career-high with 21 kills on 39 attacks, good for a .462 hitting percentage, to go along with six blocks and six digs as the Warhawks knocked off the Trojans for the first time since 1992.

HOGAN CONTINUES TO TAKE CHARGE AT LIBERO
Sophomore Madeline Hogan made her first three career starts at libero against Texas State and added two more against the Ragin' Cajuns over the weekend. She has led the Warhawks in digs in four of her five matches since taking over, posting 13, 15 and 12 digs at Texas State before adding 12 and 21 against the Ragin' Cajuns. Hogan has been strong in reception for the Warhawks, making 65 receptions with just two errors in the five matches for a reception percentage of .970.

GRIFFITH EMBARKS ON HER SIXTH SEASON AT ULM
ULM senior Catherine Griffith returns for her sixth season as a Warhawk in 2020. The Raleigh, N.C., native is one of two Warhawks to start all eight matches. She played in her 100th career match on Friday night vs. the Ragin' Cajuns. Griffith had three kills and one block on Friday against the Cajuns before adding four kills and three digs on Saturday.

In the series at Texas State, Griffith was strongest on the block, with one block solo and seven block assists. 

On opening weekend, Griffith started all three matches and picked up 18 kills (1.8 per set). She was efficient on her swings, making just three errors on 45 attacks for a .333 hitting percentage, which leads the team. Griffith also picked up a pair of service aces and tallied four block assists to finish with 22 points over the three matches, ranking second on the team.

Griffith arrived at ULM in 2015 and sat out the season with an injury. Another injury forced her to miss the 2019 season. Griffith enters the 2020 season as ULM's active career leader in matches played (93), started (87), kills (609) and total blocks (233). In 2018, Griffith led the Warhawks in kills (235) and attack percentage (.286).

APPELMAN AND CHRISTIE BACK AS FOURTH-YEAR SENIORS
Seniors Lauren Appelman and Alix Christie look to build off successful 2019 seasons. 

Appelman, a senior outside hitter from Chula Vista, California, averaged 1.40 kills per set in 2019, but her .157 hitting percentage was the best of her career. This season, Appelman has played in five matches and 12 sets, collecting eight kills and five digs.

Christie, a senior middle blocker from Beachville, Ontario, set several career highs in 2019, including matches played (28), sets played (90), kills (158), kills per set (1.76), hitting percentage (.270), assists (8), digs (26), block solos (21), block assists (71) and total blocks (92). Christie led the team in blocks and blocks per set and tied for the team lead in hitting percentage. She ranked fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in blocks. Christie made her 2020 debut in time for senior night against the Ragin' Cajuns on Friday. She played in both matches against the Cajuns, collecting five kills, six blocks and one dig.

JUNIORS ANCHORED BY ASSALEY AND THIEDE
The 2020 Warhawk volleyball roster features just two juniors: Cali Assaley and McKinley Thiede. 

Assaley, an outside hitter from Columbia, South Carolina, has started six of eight matches in 2020. 

She started Saturday's series finale vs. the Ragin' Cajuns, coming up with four kills, six digs and one block.

Assaley started all three matches on opening weekend and played in nine out of 10 sets. She ranked second on the team with 20 kills. She notched 11 kills against Lamar, reaching double-digit kills for the fifth time in her career. She added eight more kills against Houston Baptist.

Assaley played in 30 of 32 matches with 113 kills and 27 blocks in 2019. She had the most efficient match of her career against Prairie View A&M on Sept. 6, 2019, connecting for 10 kills with just two errors on 18 attacks, good for a .444 hitting percentage. Later in the season, Assaley picked up 10 kills to go with three blocks against the Ragin' Cajuns on Nov. 8.

Thiede, a setter from Reno, Nevada, has started six of eight matches in 2020. She leads the Warhawks with 111 assists (4.44 per set). 

Thiede returned to the starting lineup for both matches of the Ragin' Cajuns series, posting 14 and 17 assists respectively. She also added 14 total digs and a service ace.

She started all three matches on opening weekend, coming through with 59 assists (5.9 per set). Thiede tallied 27 assists in the season opener vs. Lamar, 17 against Houston Baptist and 15 against SFA. 

Thiede played in all 32 matches and 110 of 112 sets in 2019. She averaged a team-high 5.35 assists per set, ranking 10th in the Sun Belt Conference. She reached double-digit assists in all 32 matches and topped 20 assists 12 times. She twice earned at least 30 assists, doing so against Prairie View A&M (32) and at Little Rock (30). Thiede earned her first-career double-double at Little Rock with 30 assists and 10 digs.

FIVE SOPHOMORES RETURN IN 2020
The Warhawk roster remains youthful in 2020 as five sophomores return for their second season at ULM. Shaska Davis (outside hitter), Darby Fisher (setter), Madeline Hogan (outside hitter), Hailey Hughes (middle blocker) and Kathryn Raschilla (right side) each made their ULM debuts in 2019. Raschilla led the group with 1.58 kills per set. Fisher ranked second on the team with 4.30 assists per set. Hughes led the 2019 freshman group with a .245 hitting percentage.

Against the Ragin' Cajuns, Hogan tallied 33 digs over the two matches.

At Texas State, Hogan led the Warhawks with 38 digs over three matches. Davis totaled nine kills and made her first career start in Saturday's series finale. Raschilla started two of three matches and posted nine kills.

On opening weekend, Davis tied for the team lead with six kills at SFA. Fisher played in six sets with 17 assists. Hogan played in all 10 sets with 35 digs and had no errors on 41 receptions. Hughes started against SFA and had two blocks and two kills. Raschilla started two of three matches and played in all 10 sets while compiling 11 kills and four blocks.

FOUR NEWCOMERS JOIN WARHAWKS IN 2020
Three freshmen and one senior join the Warhawk volleyball program in 2020.

Senior outside hitter Haley Coulter joins the team as a transfer from Angelo State. The Bradenton, Florida, native played two seasons for the Rambelles, helping them to the 2019 Lone Star Conference tournament championship and the second round of the NCAA Division II Tournament. For her efforts, Coulter was named honorable mention All-Lone Star Conference after tallying 202 kills, 335 digs and 26 blocks over 103 sets. In 2017, Coulter had 66 kills, 100 digs and nine blocks over 40 sets before missing the remainder of the season and all of 2018 with an injury. Coulter opened her career at Tulsa in 2016, collecting 119 kills, 51 digs and 18 blocks over 64 sets as a freshman.

The freshmen group contains defensive specialist/setter Karson Davis (Conroe, Texas), defensive specialist/libero Chloe Jordan (Pearland, Texas) and middle blocker/right side Emma McWhorter (Spring, Texas). Davis, who was homeschooled prior to attending ULM, helped Christian Homeschool Sports Ministries to an undisputed national championship as a junior. Jordan finished her career as an All-Texas Team selection by the Texas Association of Volleyball Coaches. McWhorter helped Klein Collins High School to its best season in school history, reaching the third round of the playoffs as a junior.